No two ways about it -- Shanahan move was gutty

The Broncos were back at the 10-yard line (where the ball landed at the whistle) for third down.

Shanahan called for a Selvin Young run. The coach was not very popular when the play gained 6. Fourth and 4.

This is it.

Shanahan sent in a pass play with multiple receiver alternatives. “We ran the play in the first half, and when B (Marshall) wasn't open, I went to Brandon Stokely,” Cutler said.

This time he looked to Eddie Royal, the rookie sensation of a week ago. He caught it.

Win or lose.

Shanahan called the same pass play, but flipped the sides. “I told B if he was one-on-one, I'd throw to him,” Cutler said. “But Eddie beat two guys, and I went back to him.” Royal said he went “underneath the safety on the first play. On the second one the safety got in front of me, and I went toward the back, and Jay drilled me again. The two plays started off different, but ended up the same. I keep living the dream.”

Shanahan was correct that the Broncos couldn't have shut down the Chargers in overtime, and the Chargers wouldn't have held out Denver. Both offenses were moving machines – 942 yards – against feeble forces.

The Chargers were throwing into the Broncos' end zone on the last play, and the ball was slapped away, as were the Chargers.

In the last (meaningless) game of 2007, the Vikings scored two-point conversions twice to cause OT – and fumbled away to lose the game. And in the opener a year ago Shanahan called that T.O. that turned a made field goal into a miss, and the Broncos won in OT.

No OT yesterday.

A Broncos official took a call in the press box several hours after the game and said into the phone: “No, the kicker was not hurt. We went for two to win.” The Broncos are 2 and Oh, yes.